Choosing the Right Path
by zahri
Summary: There are many paths to choose in a person's life, but how do they know which to choose?


Choosing the Right Path  
  
Here I am again, standing at the intersection of life  
many junctions lie before me, I know not what to choose  
Each is as equally appealing to me as the next path  
but I know not what to choose, where do I go from here?  
  
The first is filled with riches beyond my wildest dreams,  
but they are only earthly riches, not of the Heavenly design  
They call me forth, beckon me to bestow my hand upon them  
but I shake my head because God is not found on that path.  
  
The second is filled with temptations no mortal can envision,  
each more satisfying than the last, but they cannot be anything  
but earthly temptations that only force me to stray from God.  
I know I will not find God there, and so I do not choose the second.  
  
The third is full of peals of laughter, almost tangible love  
radiates from the scene I see before me. Thinking that this is it,  
I take one step towards the third path before I realize God  
is no where in sight, for this path does not know God either.  
  
I turn round and round and realize there are no more paths to choose  
and the path I came from has been sealed off, for no one  
can go back to their childhood except in regretful memory.  
Confusion and despair fill my mind as I drop to my knees.  
  
And I pray that God will show me the true path  
for the first three must be false paths, indeed  
filled with only temptations and earthly desires  
that Satan construed to snatch us from God's hand.  
  
And as I pray, tears streaming down my face  
at the hopelessness of the situation presented before me,  
the earth opens up, and a new path appears before me.  
Jesus steps forth from the stone walkway and smiles at me.  
  
He reaches out a hand to help me up, and I accept it gratefully,  
relishing the cool touch of His fingers against my skin.  
He squeezes my hand as we walk together towards the new path,  
a path that was made from Jesus' blood and sacrifice.  
  
Along the way I notice that there are many hardships to bear  
but I am not afraid, for I have God protecting me, strengthening me.  
Sometimes there is joy, more often there is defeat  
but always, always, there is God, My Savior who walks with me.  
  
One day following the choice, I walk with God slowly,  
content to slow my steps enough to smell the sweet fragrance  
of the roses that grow beside the stone path so beautifully.  
But I break the silence, and ask a question that has bothered me.  
  
"God, what would have become of me if I had chosen the other paths?  
You know, the first three paths that Satan made himself?"  
And He leads me gently back to the junction where this all began  
and takes His left hand and points at the first.  
  
"My child, if you had chosen the first, you would have been rich  
beyond your wildest dreams, but the wealth would come at a high price.  
You would be lonely, for you would have no friends or companions,  
and a husband who married you only for your money, not your love."  
  
"If you had chosen the second, you would have died at an early age  
of an accidental drug overdose. No one would visit your funeral,  
for all your friends would be dead, too. Your life would have been  
in vain, for you would not know Me, and thus not know Eternal Life."  
  
"If you had chosen the third, you would be happy on the outside,  
with a large family. However, your husband would have beat you  
and abused you, and, in desperation, you would have ended your life  
just to get away from him, and go to Hell for not knowing Me."  
  
"But it is only in praying and asking for guidance  
that you were shown the fourth path, the true path  
that exists for all believers; a path where everyday  
you would walk with Me, and draw strength from Me."  
  
"And then, at the end of the fourth path, you would die,  
having led a fruitful life. Many people would attend your funeral,  
and some would be saved that day, because they turned to Me  
because of you speaking the Word. And you would walk with Me forevermore."  



End file.
